[MR] silk, linen, and trim on the cheap

[roxygreenstreet at aol.com]

 Folks, some killer prices on silks can be had from www.dharmatrading.com.  They sell all in white, some in black, and dye kits that allow you to get any color you want.  These kits are easy to use.  Don't let anybody dis you for using aniline/commercial dye.  When you buy fabric in a store it is generally dyed with modern methods.  I like fabricstore.com for linens.  You can also get sari from India on Ebay and do nifty things with it by cutting off the trim and applying it to your garb.  Use the rest for anything you want.  Cheap and easy to do.  Edge it with middy braid or similar with the zig zag foot on your sewing machine for a crisp edge.  (tuck it in when you whip stitch it in place)  No ironing required.  You can make stunning trim for anything with that method.  Get a laser level, razor sharp shears, and slice away.  You can cut acres of trim in no time at all with accuracy.

I don't work for these companies, I am just another satisfied costumer.

I tell people, 'I did it just like they did in Elizabethan England.  I went to a shop, and I bought it.'

In the years before I was Laureled I did not have money to throw around for fabric and lace so I did everything creatively and shopped in places that met my price point.   I would sooner die than make anything that cost $600 in materials.  

May your threads never tangle,
Dame Roksanne Grenestrete